Woman riding scooter dies after collision with Brightline train in Pompano Beach
A woman riding a scooter died over the weekend after striking a Brightline train in Pompano Beach as the rail crossing’s safety arms were down and the lights were flashing, according to authorities.
The woman died at the scene. She has not been publicly identified because her family had not been notified, said Broward Sheriff’s Office spokesman Carey Codd.
At 11:19 a.m., Saturday, the train was traveling south near the intersection of Copans Road and North Dixie Highway as a woman traveling south on North Dixie Highway made a left turn on Copans Road, according to detectives. When the woman, riding a 2020 Sanmen County Yongfu 150CC scooter, crossed over the railroad tracks heading east in the westbound lanes, investigators say she crashed with into the side of the train.
“A witness told detectives that the railroad safety arms were in the lowered position and the railroad crossing lights were flashing when the crash occurred,” BSO said in a news release.
As the sheriff’s office investigates the crash, it reminded pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists to never go around the lowered safety arms.
“Do not underestimate the speed of the train,” BSO said. “Even if the train engineer sees you, he or she will not be able to stop in time.”
READ MORE: Father of four killed after pickup truck, Brightline train collide in Pompano Beach
Last week, a 27-year-old father of four was killed after he drove his pickup truck on to the railroad tracks and was struck by a Brightline train in Pompano Beach.
Jacob Bresnahan was taken to the hospital, where he died, deputies said.
READ MORE: See video and a timeline of Brightline crashes: How and where did they happen?
The crash happened near the intersection of Northwest Sixth Street and North Dixie Highway around 5:39 a.m May 2, according to BSO.
Surveillance video obtained by WSVN shows Bresnahan briefly stopping before a safety arm, which appears to be down, before driving on to the tracks, where the crash occurred.
READ MORE: Driver dies after driving Jeep on Broward tracks and getting hit by a Brightline train
According a recent Miami Herald analysis of Federal Railroad Administration data, Brightline was involved with more fatalities per mile traveled than any other major rail operator in the country in the past four years. Many of the crashes involved drivers ignoring or deliberately passing through lowered railroad safety gates, which is illegal and can be deadly.
Miami Herald staff writers Michelle Marchante, David J. Neal and Devoun Cetoute contributed to this report.
